Fitness Abroad: The China Adventures! (Part 3)

CC-TV Building - Beijing

Ni Hao!  Welcome to the third and final installment of Fitness Abroad: The China Adventures!  If you missed the first two parts of the series, check them out here and here!  Today's workout turned out to be my favorite for the week.  Although there's not an ab exercise in sight, this minimalist workout demands stabilization through the entire core in every move.  You won't miss your crunches at all :)  Let's take a look at the original workout cooked up by the boys & girls at CrossFit Miami Beach.  We'll also look at how I modified it to work with the limited gym equipment available at the hotel.

Original workout:

 
5 Round for time
~ 20 Kettle Bell Swings
~ 18 Push-up Releases
~ 16 DB Floor to Overhead
From www.crossfitmiamibeach.net (Thursday 6/16/11 WOD)

How I made it work for me:

20 Minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
~ 20 Single-arm Dumbbell Swings (10 left/10 right): Kettle Bell swings are an incredible full-body exercise that requires  strength, coordination, and endurance.  Unfortunately, even some large commercial gyms don't have Kettle Bells (and my hotel gym certainly doesn't) so we're gonna have to make some substitutions.  I like to perform this exercise one hand at a time with a dumbbell.  Since the deltoids shouldn't be activated during the swinging motion, I like to switch arms in the middle of the set.  It shouldn't reduce the intensity of the move.  I've also seen gym-goers grasp the dumbbell with both hands (as you would grip a baseball bat), but this position doesn't feel natural to me so I stick with a pronated grip and use one hand at a time.  
~ 18 Push-ups (Tapered intensity): I simply start out with the hardest push-up version I know and proceed to easier versions as I tire out.  An example of the sequence I might follow: Plyo Push-ups (both hands and feet leave the ground), Clap Push-ups, Fly Push-ups, Standard Push-ups, Knee Push-ups.  Those are just some of my favorites.  It's a great way to keep things interesting and acivate the entire chest.  There's a mountain of push-up versions to choose from so be creative and find the ones that really burn.  Here are some other versions to consider: Military, Diamond, One-Handed, and Spider Push-ups.  You can also try them with bands or stands.  
~ 16 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches:  I modified this exercise for one simple reason... I don't really know what "DB Floor to Overhead" exercise is :/  From the title I can infer that it's similar to Alternating Dumbbell Snatches, one of my favorite exercises.  This high intensity exercise is borrowed from the Power Lifting arena where explosive power is key.  Not comfortable with powerlift exercises?  Try substituting for another full-body exercise like Burpees.  By no means is it a direct substitute, but it's an explosive move that activates muscles through the entire body and requires stabilization through the core.  

Mascot of Yonho Eatery - Cute little bugger ain't he?

So there you go!  A great total body body workout and all you need is 20 minutes and some dumbbells.  Perfect for days when the gym is packed, you're low on time, or there's limited equipment.  I hope you've enjoyed reading this three-part segment as much as I've enjoyed writing it!  To me, this trip has served as a reminder that workouts don't have to be complicated by a pile of gizmos and equipment or tediously constructed through a series of drafts and revisions.  Sometimes the simplest workouts are the most effective.  Using the proper precautions, a little bit of know-how, and a lot of creativity, you'll find that a great workout is within your grasp no matter what the circumstances.  Thanks again and have a great workout today!

Xie Xie Ni!  (Thank you!)
Dan